MEDIA MATTERS
Going global
SEVANTI NINAN
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One of the emerging ways forward for Indian media companies is producing content for international audiences, not just NRIs.
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The future direction is in place, and now it is time to lobby for enabling changes in policy.
PHOTO: P.V.SIVAKUMAR
Promising new fields: Gaming guru Ed Fries at the Animation and Gaming India 2008 in Hyderabad.
Business papers last Tuesday morning, trying to get a business angle to the Oscar sweep for “Slumdog”, suggested that it would now make India marketable to a wider Hollywood audience, a potential source of story ideas, locations, talent. The usual gush about how we are now all set to make it big. But facts and figures in a 2009 report on the media and entertainment industry point to an integration with the global entertainment industry which has already begun. Major Hollywood studios have collaborations in place with Indian partners.
New buzz word
The week before “Slumdog” won, the industry met for its usual annual conclave in Mumbai called Frames, an event institutionalised over 10 years by FICCI. Each year FICCI has an international partner for this event, this year it was the United States. The US-India Business Council (USIBC) was present with a 40-member delegation, pitching for policy changes in India which would be more enabling to Indo-US media and entertainment collaborations. And the KPMG-FICCI 2009 report that was released at Frames had a buzz word which hasn’t as yet become common coinage for media here: internationalisation. While regionalisation, or the taking of media brands from metro cities to small towns and villages is being pushed as a panacea for the current market slump, internationalisation is emerging as another way forward.
What are its signposts? First, Indians producing content for global audiences. The audiences in question are not just 25 million NRIs but also local audiences in foreign countries. NDTV, for instance, has already launched TV channels catering to local audiences: NDTV Arabia, and NDTV Malaysia. And in print, Filmfare magazine launched its German edition early last year. Co-production and production of Hollywood movies by Indian players have been announced by UTV and Reliance Entertainment.
Specific services
The second aspect of internationalisation is providing media specific services to other countries. Animation is the big opportunity here: the report says that out of the total revenues generated by the Indian animation industry, over 70 per cent are derived from outsourcing. The next big thing is film post-production. India is increasingly becoming a place where you can do it cheaper than in Hollywood. Animation post-production is already a growing business, an Indian studio, Pixion, has already acquired two London studios, an example of acquiring front end operations abroad.
Third, there is internationalisation happening through acquisitions, partnerships or strategic alliances with media properties abroad. Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd acquired Britain’s Virgin Radio last June. Disney increased its stake in two UTV companies, while also getting into a collaboration with Yash Raj Films. NBC Universal picked up a 26 per cent stake in NDTV Networks, the holding company for NDTV’s entertainment and lifestyle channels, digital media and other interests. New alliances include Reliance tying up with Spielberg’s DreamWorks studio for a joint venture which will make 35 movies in five years. Then there is the collaboration between Warner and People Tree Films, the film production company owned by Nikhil Advani and Mukesh Talreja, to make three movies. As also a collaboration between Warner and Ramesh Sippy! There is also the UTV collaboration with Will Smith’s company Overbrook Entertainment to produce movies. The industry wasn’t exactly waiting for “Slumdog Millionaire” to come and open doors for it.
How much will take off in actual terms given the economic downturn and the liquidity crunch remains to be seen, but the future direction is in place, and now it is time to lobby for enabling changes in policy. The Americans who came to Frames pushed with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials present for changes in tax administration, and for a Indo-US co-production treaty which would make things smoother also for Indians wishing to shoot in the US, particularly in having to deal with US guilds.
Immediate problem
Then there is piracy. A USIBC-Ernst and Young report released last year showed that India loses 820,000 jobs each year in the media and entertainment sector due to piracy. And its not just piracy in India. It was pointed out that there is also piracy of Indian films in the US. Who will tackle this problem? The Council is planning a public information campaign on the issue.
Finally, on some panels at Frames 09 there was wishful thinking about a reversal in the current trend of who imports game show formats from whom. At the moment Indians do most of the importing and adapting. Think of all the TV shows here starting from Kaun Banega Crorepati and going up to Big Boss and Khatron Ka Khiladi (Fear Factor), which have been licensed from content companies abroad like Endemol. Would it be nice to turn that around and licence Indian formats abroad? But where are these? Zee’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge? We haven’t got any yet, that anyone would want to license from us.
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